Wow you write this with a lot of... I can't think of the word right now. But this is excellent and you're dealing with this fic with a lot of Finesse. Love it and can't wait for more.

Glad you're enjoying it. Keeping the chapers really short is making it easier to spit something out between assignments and other crap in RL.

Better, much better. An interesting pairing, I'm honestly not sure I've seen it before. Good luck with this one.

Given that he had sex with Faith on the show - and the animosity over Spike, I couldn't see Buffy and Robin together post-'Chosen'. That's why I changed when he was introduced to Buffy...and the Spike issue.

Another great chapter. Can't wait till Dawn finds out. I know I'm a bit sadistc but I like seeing that self-centered, whiny, ungrateful, girl in pain.

Yeah...have to decide how I want to handle her. I'm guessing a few angry words are shouted.

Good. I think it was the best way for Robin to dust Spike : unknowingly, not because of his vengeance, but to save someone. Because if there is one common and consistent theme in BtVS and AtS, it's that vengeance is a tool of evil and the people seeking it do not care about the innocents they hurt in the process.

Update as soon as you can.

Yeah, I much prefer if he can be completely heroic about killing Spike instead of an a**. Not to say he won't do some private gloating about it later, but at least his motives were good.

Really great. Love the pairing.

Thanks. I'm liking this, even if the chapters are shorter than my usual.

Wow, Wesley in the mix. And the Malboro man Wes that was a bad ass too. LOVING THIS! Poor Robin way to break it to him huh. Can't wait for more.

I honestly hadn't intended to bring Wes in, but the sexy, broken man snuck his way in.

WOW! So excited to see Buffy ask Wes to come back to Sunnydale. Great twist. :)

Would have helped so many people if she had done it on the shows, don't you think?

Love how the story is progressing. I think she's likely to range through several different levels that weren't shown on the show, from blaming herself to blaming him, and then taking the whatever reaction she gets from the others as if she deserves it. Sorry, I don't mean that in a nasty way, but people react to rape differently. They're unsure what to think, or say, and normally the frustration leads them to either protect or reject the victim. I look forward to seeing how you handle this.

Love that she's going to bring Wesley back into the fold. I think it would have been a wonderful twist in the show, rather than the whole weird Justine in the closet story line.

Tried to show a little more reaction in Buffy during the next chapter; hope you like it.

Ick, the Justine/Lilah crap bothered me way more than Wes taking Connor. That was just sick and wrong; at least with kidnapping Connor, he had very good intentions. Personally, I like to believe that he had no plans to hand him over to Justine or Holtz, just run with him until he figured a way around the prophecy.

Brilliant. I love how you are going to be using Wesley and especially enjoyed the 'cookie' part :)

I can also sense your author ire at Giles being gone *smiles wryly* Ah, season 6! Why did you have to be full of *so* many poor decisions?! sigh.

I'm glad Robin learned asap about who exactly he killed.

Thought once some time had passed, Wes would be able to joke about the cookie thing.

Yes, Giles deserves to be painted in honey and left on an anthill. Normally the thought of Giles covered in honey would be a happy thought for me, but not at this point in canon.

Damn, I feel like someone gave me a cookie! And now with added Wes. sounds like exactly what we need! Yup, Buffy's being Buffy... Poor Robin... he has no idea what just hit him!

Peace,

Blue

Oops, just realized that maybe Wes would have a little difficulty in talking. Have to remember that when he gets to Sunnydale.

I thought it would be better for Buffy to blurt it out so that there wasn't an awkward moment later on which would lead to feelings of betrayal on somebody's part. (Not sure whose, probably Robin's.)

Oooh the foreplay before the foreplay... with swords. {grin} Excellent reaction for Buffy. More of Robin's reaction next time, I hope... He's gotta have a ton of emotions from just meeting a new slayer... and he's now done something he couldn't do for mom: he's saved a slayer -- her virtue, if not her life - (he has no idea how that was going to end, and now, neither does Buffy)

You know, I find that when I've put Buffy with someone else, Spike is always dead. I think his presence really does make her moving forward difficult. I notice you took the same approach.

Very excited about this.

Blue

PS: as Luna says, I think there will be grief and mixed feelings about Robin because of it, but after all, Buffy never knew the redeemed Spike - so her grief will be different. I think given the way it ended, she'll have complicated grief (a therapy term btw) -- maybe the kind that leads to a bit of depression b/c part of her will mourn and the other part will not want to mourn someone who did something so horrible, despite the kind of sex/violence pattern they had... Hopefully, Robin will offer a sane contrast.

When he finds out he's killed his mother's killer, I think it will be a healing thing for him... and it may make it easier for Buffy to forgive him -- because she's a softie and will 'get' his comfort in avenging his mom (however inadvertently) and 'saving' her. I'm expecting a bumpy, but fascinating ride!

Yeah, Buffy's still in a little shock, but she'll come out of it...probably when she has to face Dawn or one of the Scoobies.

I'm so excited to see this story progress!

I am not sure, but I feel like Buffy would have been sadder at seeing Spike leave. Her emotions were certainly complicated when it came to him, anyways. Then again, immediately post-attempted rape...I can see the reaction you have written. I suppose it's just hard because she hated herself for being with him and really only had a sexual relationship with him because of her post-traumatic heaven disorder. I guess the fact that he helped to protect Dawn even after her death made him win points in her world.

As for what would be good to see happen, I think you mentioned in another review response that you plan on taking this slow since Robin wouldn't be one to take advantage of Buffy. I think that's great. It'll be interesting to see how Robin deals with Buffy associating with a ex-vengeance demon (who goes back to demon-y ways) and Willow's mystical downward spiral.

One thing I've always been curious about -- it seems that Robin's adopted father (Nikki's watcher) is still alive, since he gave Robin the info. I think he should make an appearance at one point. It would be interesting to see.

Also, I wonder if Buffy would initially be adverse to associating with Robin because he would be a painful reminder of 2 things: 1) that his mother was a slayer and died. Death is inevitable for her. 2) That his mother was a slayer and that shows possibility--Buffy can also have a family someday. Of course, that would be painful because she's never imagined a future with anyone before.

I know you have classes starting but I can't wait to see what's next!

Musie had to write another chapter real quick-like.

I don't know what to do with the Scoobies, or the whole 'Darth Willow' thing coming up, so I'm playing it by ear; letting Musie lead me by the nose. It's not the first time...won't be the last time.

Oooh great story so far. Can't wait to see Dawns reaction to dead Spike because we all know she is going to be a whiny bitch about it. Is Faith still going to come to town? and what will the interaction be between her and Robin if he is going to be in love with Buffy.

I think Robin's (or Buffy) gonna have to tell people that Spike was trying to rape her when he was staked. Season 7 is going to be vastly different - which will be explained later - so I'm not sure there'll be a need for Faith to come to town and mess things up.

this is great! Would love to see more! I'm a spike fan, but you found highly appropriate timing for that. Looking forward to seeing where this goes! -lucidity

Yeah, can't really be sorry for him being staked when he's in the middle of trying to rape Buffy. Even if we know on the show that he didn't succeed.

Gosh this new Fics that DBJ fired people up to do are just amazing. Can't wait for next chap.

Thanks. Got classes starting on Monday, but I thought I'd put at least one more chapter out before I disappear again.